Using birds to eat all the caterpillars?

[Julian777ju]

We have caterpillars everywhere around my container garden area. I put bird food and a bird bath where the caterpillars are. An now they all came 50 birds all walking together eating the caterpillars all chirping happy. An taking a bath drinking water. The birds helped alot keep the pests away. What is the type of bird?

 

[YumYum]

The ones with the purplish sheen on the head looks like the american crow although I never really see them hanging out with other types of birds. The one with the white stripe across the wing might be a red winged blackbird. Cant really see it plainly. The ones with the brown heads appear to be the brown headed cowbird. The quality of the pics arent that great but that is my best guesses.

 

[Julian777ju]

The ones with the purplish sheen on the head looks like the american crow although I never really see them hanging out with other types of birds. The one with the white stripe across the wing might be a red winged blackbird. Cant really see it plainly. The ones with the brown heads appear to be the brown headed cowbird. The quality of the pics arent that great but that is my best guesses.

Yeah unfortunately my phone mount for monoculars broke

 

[Meadowlark]

You might consider putting out some bluebird boxes. Bluebirds eat copious amounts of insects including caterpillars.

Some of those birds pictured look like Cowbirds to me and Starlings.

 

[Julian777ju]

You might consider putting out some bluebird boxes. Bluebirds eat copious amounts of insects including caterpillars.

Some of those oh ok they flock here when it gets cool or cold. For food and water. Sometimes they have pool parties

 

[YumYum]

You might consider putting out some bluebird boxes. Bluebirds eat copious amounts of insects including caterpillars.

Some of those birds pictured look like Cowbirds to me and Starlings.

Yea. They look a little small to be crows so starlings are about the right size but I don't see the white glimmery sides on them.

 

[Chuck]

Those are cowbirds. The ones with the sheen are males and the dull brown ones the females. They are the ONLY bird that is harmful AFAIK. What they do is go into other birds nests, kick an egg out and lay their own egg in its place, letting another bird raise its young. That is why there are so many of them, they lay many more egges in different birds nests. There have been studies about this birds habits. One would think that being raised by another type of bird it would imprint on that bird, that is take up its habits, its song etc. but it doesn't.

 

[Julian777ju]

Those are cowbirds. The ones with the sheen are males and the dull brown ones the females. They are the ONLY bird that is harmful AFAIK. What they do is go into other birds nests, kick an egg out and lay their own egg in its place, letting another bird raise its young. That is why there are so many of them, they lay many more egges in different birds nests. There have been studies about this birds habits. One would think that being raised by another type of bird it would imprint on that bird, that is take up its habits, its song etc. but it doesn't.

WOW! Thats so interesting that reminds me of this selfish bird forgot the type. But it's babies are also selfish like its parents. if the baby bird hatches it doesn't all want competition for the food. When the baby bird hatches it kicks out all the eggs in the nest. Here's it's eggs they are this kind they abandoned the babies. I wonder if new mom raise them.

 

[Julian777ju]

See this video

 

[smitty55]

The brown headed ones are cowbirds and the bluish headed ones are grackles.